Protests against Uber or court cases against Google notwithstanding, start-ups are thriving in France, which ranks second globally among start-ups represented at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

A ship carrying hundreds of refugees was rescued today off the coast of Italy, after its crew abandoned it. It was the second such incident this week, suggesting a foreboding new stage of an influx of migrants to Europe.

The church, a minority faith in largely Orthodox Ukraine, has a long history of guarding the country's identity and independence. Now, it is doing so directly, by supplying ammo, medical kits, and armor to soldiers fighting in the east.

Though media reports often portray children of parents working abroad as 'at risk,' the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network found that the truth is more complex – and some children thrive despite the challenges.

In self-styled 'people's republics' in eastern Ukraine the arrival of winter means hardship for civilians as coal and food are in short supply. More than 1,000 people have died since a Sept. 5 cease-fire was signed by Russia and Ukraine.

A European court's ruling that Hamas was incorrectly listed as a terrorist organization may look like a win for the group. But, like the various European votes to recognize a Palestinian state, it may change little.